Hank Aaron and the Mission of the Church

Yogi Berra, legendary catcher for the New York Yankees, tells the story of the first time Hank Aaron stepped up to the plate in the 1957 World Series. Yogi noticed that Hank was holding the bat wrong. He said, “Hank, you’ve got the trademark on your bat wrong. Turn it towards you so you can read it.” Hank replied, “Yogi, I didn’t come up here to read. I came to hit.”

Hank Aaron wasn’t concerned with the conventional way to hold a bat. He made a name for himself in the Negro Leagues in the early 1950’s batting cross-handed. He was only concerned with hitting the ball. Considering the he broke Babe Ruth’s all-time homerun record in 1974, I’d say he got the job done. Hank knew his purpose and mission.

I’m afraid that in our churches we sometimes are more concerned with the conventional, traditional ways of doing things that we forget our mission. What is the mission of the Church? Jesus made it pretty clear. At the end of the gospel of Matthew, he gave us what is known as the Great Commission. “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”

I get frustrated when I see churches compromise the Great Commission for the sake of tradition. When churches refuse to change their music style to something more relevant to the culture for the sake of tradition, they’ve lost their focus. When is the last time you heard someone listening to choir music on the radio? When is the last time a robed four-part choir concert sold out an arena? What are these churches thinking? Here’s a thought: Sell the choir robes and the organ on eBay and buy some guitars and a set of drums.

While on a trip to the Holy Land in 1997, I met a pastor who told me about his conversion experience as a young adult. He was sitting on his couch one Saturday morning watching TV when the doorbell rang. It was two neatly dressed men from one of the local Baptist churches. He allowed them to come in and the two men did their part in fulfilling the Great Commission by sharing the good news of Jesus with him. My pastor friend knew this was a divine appointment because he had been struggling spiritually of late and he knew that he needed to get right with God. So he did. The two men prayed with him and he asked Jesus to be Lord of his life. Mission accomplished.

But then one of the two visitors strayed from the mission. Immediately after they said, “Amen,” the leader of the dynamic witnessing duo reached over and began buttoning the top two buttons of the new convert’s shirt. He told his new brother in Christ, “Now, if you’re going to be a Christian, you have to make yourself look presentable at all times.”

What the …..? How the …? Where did that come from?!

The first rule of being a Christian is to button up your shirt?? Holy cow! I guess they sent him to get a haircut that day too. Will someone please tell me about the Church and dress codes? Will someone please let me know why so many churches create a barricade at their front door by making a coat, tie, and polished shoes required for entry? Hank Aaron’s take on this might be, “I didn’t come here for a fashion show. I came here to worship.”

The Church’s refusal to be relevant to its surrounding culture is one key reason why 80% of American churches are dying or stagnant. No wonder 70% of the population is sitting at home on Sunday mornings instead of in our worship services. Over the last 20 years, we’ve made some headway down this path. Thanks to the Baby Boomers, the culturally relevant church has made an obvious impression on the American church. But the Baby Boomers parents are still holding on to convention and they’ve convinced many of their children that their peers have gone overboard. “It’s those hippies from the 60’s,” they say. “They just cut their hair and took a shower but they snuck guitars and drums into the church, took out the King James Bible, and made it into a combination theme park and rock concert. Did you ever see a picture of that California hippie pastor, Rick Warren, when he was young? His hair came down to his collar. And that Bill Hybels in Chicago took a bunch of hippies to start that megachurch of his. They’re all just a bunch of Woodstock alumni claiming to do church the right way.”

The Baby Boomers began to turn the ship away from convention and now the generation that followed them (Gen X) is knocking the ball out of the park like Barry Bonds on steroids. (Of course, um, if Barry Bonds was on steroids. But I digress…). It seems like I hear about a new church every week with a bright, young, creative pastor at the plate hitting homeruns. Thank God. Who cares how you hold the bat when you are tagging all four bases with one swing?

I say we need more Hank Aaron’s at the plate. Let’s get the job done with a “whatever it takes” attitude. Let the Bible be our guide, not convention or tradition, and let’s keep swinging for the fence.

Into the Wild Blue Yonder

Yesterday afternoon I cashed in my Father's Day present. Beth bought an introductory flight lesson for me. Pretty cool gift, huh? I have a great wife!

I went to Daniel Field yesterday kind of excited and kind of wondering if this was really something that I'd want to do. I've toyed with this idea over the years but have never been serious enough to really make the call. So Beth made it for me. I love to fly and I've flown on private and commercial planes many, many times. But I think I'm one of those that just enjoys being up in the air and seeing the sites more than I am interested in the actual mechanics of flying. But, I have to say, it is tempting.

When I turned 40 I decided it was time to answer the call of my mid-life crisis and buy a motorcycle. I've told Beth that when I turn 50 my next mid-life crisis would probably be flying. So she's given me a 5 year head start. It requires a lot of time and money. If I got a pilot's license, I don't know where I'd go. I couldn't go too far. I couldn't afford it...and there are only so many times you can fly around Clarks Hill.

The instructor put me in the pilot's seat of a Cessna 172 and explained all of the gauges and instruments to me. We did a thorough overview of the entire plane. That probably took an hour. Then we took the plane up. He let me taxi the plane out to the runway. Once we got up, he let me fly it. We circled around the lake, flew over Edgefield and Aiken counties and then took it back to the airport. It was fun and I can see how it can become addicting. I'm not sure if I'll go back for my second lesson or not. I may put it off for awhile. But don't be surprised if one day you read a blog post about me getting my pilot's license. It may happen - when I get in my 50's.

Baby Panda Sneeze

Witness a Drive-by...

Book Review: A Contrarian's Guide to Knowing God

I recently completed Larry Osborne's book, A Contrarian's Guide to Knowing God. I first heard about Osborne about a year ago. He pastors North Coast Church in Southern California. I like the way he thinks and I would highly recommend this new book.

For years, I've often wondered how Christians grew spiritually without access to a Bible, study course, Sunday School class, or small group. We place so much emphasis on reading. In fact, to the Christian in the Western hemisphere, spiritual growth is not possible without books. But the Gutenberg press wasn't invented until the 1500's. Only in the past couple of centuries have Bibles and Christian books been available. How did Christ-followers grow in their faith without their own personal copy of the Bible? How did they survive without Christian publishers?

Osborne talks about this briefly to make the case that the Church has designed conventional paths to spiritual growth for certain types of people, i.e., people who like to read and study. Now, you have to understand that this is descriptive of me. I love books. I have three stacks of books that I'm wading through now! So this is not an indictment on readers. Instead, it is a concern that we have made the path to spiritual growth too narrow.

Like new cars on the showroom floor, we've developed two types of Christians: the basic model including only the necessities and the super-deluxe package with all the extras. The basic model Christian attends Sunday services and might sit in on a Bible study once a week but he doesn't read all of the latest books on the Christian best seller list or study the Bible with a highlighter in his hand. In addition, the basic model Christian doesn't show up for Sunday or weeknight classes or services, serve on any important committees, or otherwise take full advantage of all of the "features" that the Church offers. The super-deluxe Christian, of course, does all of these things.

Is this right? Does the basic model Christian suffer from a lack of commitment or have we created a faulty paradigm of what makes for a "committed" Christian? We too often debate over sound doctrine and nitpick over what a Christian should or should not do (legalism). But Jesus spoke of the kingdom of heaven belonging to those who are like little children (Matthew 18). Jesus is pleased by a simple childlike faith. Why isn't that good enough for the rest of us?

A contrarian is a person who asks, "Is this really true?" Larry Osborne is brave enough to ask questions about many things that we assume are true, Biblical, and right. But you'll find that we (the Church) have made up some things that aren't necessarily accurate according to the Bible. It's an interesting and eye-opening book. In case you're skeptical of this contrarian, Osborne is a solid Bible teacher who uses the Bible as the foundation to question some of our methods and models that the Church has created.

Some quotes from the book:

"God doesn't just put up with our differences, he savors them - and adapts to them."

"No two relationships with God will ever be exactly alike."

"Lets be real. We may know in our head that each Christian has a unique assignment from God. But when the assignments produce radically different lifestyles and approaches to spirituality, we have a difficult time validating both."

"The most important thing in pleasing God is not a particular approach to spirituality or style of ministry; it's the fruit that matters, the end results produced by our life and ministry."

"God often liked to hang with and bless the very people I'd been told he'd want nothing to do with."

"Gold package Christianity doesn't draw people to God; it scares them away."

"The only sure and reliable sign that I'm on good terms with God is my obedience to his commands and laws. This alone proves that I know him and love him."

The wrong question to ask yourself, "How are things going?" The right question, "Am I doing the right things?"

"The formula for maximized potential is strangely similar to the recipe for a nervous breakdown or a broken home."

"Jesus didn't say, 'If you love me, you'll fulfill your potential.' He said, 'If you love me, you will obey what I command.'"

"While potential seeks greatness in being all I can be, serving others seeks greatness in helping others be all they can be."

Blessed in Guatemala

Haven't posted anything lately because I've been busy either getting ready for, serving in, or recovering from a mission trip to Guatemala. After a good night's sleep Monday night, I feel like the jetlag is gone and I'm getting back in the swing of things.

A team of 10 from TNC left on June 16 and returned June 23. We participated with two of our partner churches - El Camino San Cristobal and their mission church, El Camino Escuintla. We stayed in San Cristobal, a suburb of Guatemala City, the first night and attended church there Sunday morning. On Sunday afternoon, we made the hour drive to Escuintla. The church families of El Camino Escuintla welcomed us with open arms. We spent the remainder of the week there making improvements on the church property.

Pictured above is the family that I stayed with (along with my roomie for the week, Joe). Left to right they are Flori, Jose, CeCe, and Mordecai. They were great hosts and with no TV to interrupt our fellowship we spent each night singing and reading Scripture together - as well as just talking about life and having fun with our language barrier. Flori and her kids speak English pretty well so we were able to enjoy their company even more.

Life in Central America is simpler and less complicated. The people there must work harder than we do and for fewer things. Our host home was very simple. No hot water. No air conditioner. No TV. Few electronic gadgets. But, in the words of Flori, she is so happy because she has all that she needs and she has the love of Jesus.

I've said it hundreds of times and I'll say it again, everyone needs to get outside of the U.S. to see how God is working in other people's lives and also to see how blessed we are in the States. Or maybe it's how blessed others are because of their simple lives. One could argue, I suppose, that because of all our conveniences and riches - (Yes, if you live in the USA you are rich! If you don't believe it, go to www.globalrichlist.com) - maybe we aren't blessed, we are cursed. Maybe our quest for more toys and material things makes us miserable. It's debatable.

I can tell you this, a friend of ours, Joy, just surrendered to be a full-time missionary to Costa Rica. She sold everything she had minus two or three suitcases of clothes and personal items. It was very liberating for her to be free of all of her stuff!! So there is something to be said for the simple life that is lived by others in the world.

I'm also posting about the trip at www.tncblog.com soon if you want to go over there and read more.

Divine Intention and Divine Spirituality

I have a lot of books stacked on my desk in my home office waiting to be read. I recently received an advanced copy of Divine Intention: How God's Work in the Early Church Empowers Us Today. My cyberfriend, Larry Shallenberger, is the author of this new book published by Victor Books. I met Larry via the message boards at www.theooze.com a place that I frequent occassionally for entertainment and conversation among believers and seekers from all over the nation - even the world.

Larry's book has made it to the top of my stack so I'm looking forward to diving into it soon. Currently, I am reading another Larry's book. Larry Osborne's book titled A Contrarian's Guide to Knowing God: Spirituality for the Rest of Us. I like how Osborne thinks. He asks legitimate questions about how "normal" people grow spiritually. For example, how do Christ-followers learn doctrine? Usually, we don't learn the doctrine of the Trinity, for example, in a classroom but in the laboratory of life. We learn on a need to know basis. When you discover that the guy in the cubicle next to you is a lifelong Latter Day Saint who does not embrace the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, that's when you begin to learn about it.

Osborne (Senior Pastor of North Coast Church in Vista, CA) questions the Church's linear approach to discipleship and spiritual growth. Spiritual growth doesn't always happen through a course of study at church on Sunday nights. Spiritual growth happens as we live life with our eyes wide open to what God wants to show us each day and with anticipation for the divine appointments that he brings to us.

I'll probably post some thoughts and quotes from these two when I complete them. Stay tuned.

Are You Stomping Ants or Making Hippos Fly?

I recently ran across this article from www.pastors.com by Gregory Smith. I don't claim to be a time management expert but I do read about it when I can and try to create ways to make the best use of my time. In 1986, God used Ephesians 5:15-16 to persuade me that I should make the most of every day. "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." I've tried to keep this passage in mind ever since then.

Last Sunday, I had the privilege to speak at TNC. I mentioned how much of a time-robber TV is for many of us. The average American spends 4.5 hours per day watching TV. When you consider that you only have about 6 hours of free time (8 hours of work, 8 hours of sleep, a couple of hours getting ready, commuting, eating, etc. You have even less if you're the parent of young children.) - we really do spend too much time watching meaningless stuff. I mean, really, I'm getting along just fine not watching American Idol, Lost, and Heroes. I confess, however, that I'm addicted to 24. I watch my share of TV too so I'm not advocating an all out fast on TV, but it's just one example of how we can easily fritter away several hours and at the end of the day have nothing much to show for it.

Click the link to Smith's article and maybe you can find a few more minutes in your day that will help you "make the most of every opportunity."

My Feet On My Hearth

I rolled into good ole NA this afternoon after spending the week at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. It was full of information and inspiration. I was privileged to sit under the teaching of award winning novelist James Scott Bell. He is an incredible teacher and a humble down to earth guy. Have you ever sat in a class and felt disappointment when you realized it was time for the class to be over? That's how it was every day in his class. By the way, regarding my previous post...I have a lot of editing and rewriting to do!

I gained interest from a few editors who liked one of my book proposals. I also met with my agent about an upcoming project that we hope to present to publishers soon. The conference is beneficial enough if you just attend the classes and workshops but the best part for me is meeting people in the writing industry from around the country. If you're interested in improving your writing skills and/or getting published in any area of writing, I highly recommend this conference.

In addition to Jim Bell, I also enjoyed learning from Ron Benrey and Alton Gansky. General session speakers also included McNair Wilson and Jim Watkins. McNair Wilson is hard for me to accurately describe: witty, motivational, encouraging, hilarious, fresh, creative, spontaneous...a wonderful speaker and fun to spend time with.

It was a good and profitable week but I'm glad to be typing this from my favorite chair in the den with our hearth serving as my ottoman. The Blue Ridge mountains are beautiful but, like Dorothy said, "There's no place like home."

Done! (for now)

I finished my novel this morning. I started it about ten years ago working diligently for months on it. About a third of the way complete, I moved, changed jobs, churches, etc. In other words, life happened. The novel stayed hidden in my computer for years. Occasionally, I would pull it up, brush it off, and visit it. Only in the past year or so have I made serious strides in getting that story told. So, today, at about 7:42 AM, I wrote the last sentence.

Now, it's time to rewrite, edit, rewrite some more, edit some more, etc.

I'll be attending the Blue Ridge Mountains Writers Conference next week in Ridgecrest, NC. Hopefully, I can learn some more about the craft of writing fiction and talk to a few editors about the book. I attended this conference last year and it was awesome! Can't wait to reconnect with some of the people I met last year, learn more, and be inspired more. Last year, God spoke to me in a unique way on the last day. I blogged about it here. I'm looking forward to hearing what he has to say to me this year!

For you TNC'ers out there, this coming Sunday is going to be HUGE! I can't wait to witness what God is going to do here. Pray for Steve as he prepares what will be one of the boldest visionary messages he has ever presented. Then we can cap off the day with FACEDOWN. God doesn't stop blessing his people when they are obediently and anxiously following him. Let's keep seeking him and we will continue to marvel at what he is doing!

Batterson Highlight Reel

Last night I finished reading Mark Batterson's book, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. It is full of quotable stuff and I thought I'd share some of them with you. The book is based on the brief story of Benaiah found in 2 Samuel 23:20-21.

• Sometimes God won't intervene until something is humanly impossible.


• Our problems seem really big because our God seems really small.


• God is great not just because nothing is too big for him. God is great because nothing is too small for him.


• Don't accumulate possessions. Accumulate experiences!


• Opportunities often look like insurmountable obstacles.


• Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshipping what's right with God.


• Sometimes you have to run away from security and chase uncertainty.


• If life is infinitely uncertain and God is infinitely complex, then all we can do is accept our finitude and embrace uncertainty. Faith doesn't reduce uncertainty. Faith embraces uncertainty.


• Maybe faith has less to do with gaining knowledge and more to do with causing wonder.


• We want a 3 act play but Jesus takes us to the Improv instead. If the script was already written up front for us, it would undermine our dependence on the Holy Spirit.


• 20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. (Mark Twain)


• Maybe righteousness has less to do with not doing anything wrong and more to do with doing things right.


• When everything is said and done, I think our greatest regrets will be the God-ordained risks we didn't take.


• Some of us approach our relationship with Christ like we're called to play a "prevent defense" when we ought to be in a "2 minute drill."


• Why is it that the Church is known more for what we're against than what we're for?


• The Aramaic word for prayer means to set a trap. Prayer helps us catch opportunities God throws our way.


• Faith is the willingness to look foolish.


• We serve an unlimited God with unlimited resources. A God who looked at a few loaves and fish and saw a banquet for 5000 people.

Draining My Brain

I don't have anything in particular here to post but here's what has been on my mind lately:

1. Pray for John Redmond and his family. John is a TNC member who is in a tough battle against cancer.

2. Speaking of cancer, I've had my mom on my mind a lot lately. May 14 will be 5 years since she left for heaven.

3. I'm near completion of a novel. Maybe one day you'll see it in print. I'm writing the climax now and hope to have the first draft finished in a couple of weeks.

4. I can't believe it's already May!

5. My baby girl is going to her second prom Saturday night. (She went to the Lakeside HS prom last week.)

6. My son is preparing to be in the Mr. SC Bodybuilding competition. My wife and daughter don't want to attend because the contestants wear gross tight bikini shorts!

7. Psalm 37:4 keeps coming up everywhere. Steve used it last week. We talked about it in J Team. I posted about it at www.tncblog.com and I used it in a couple of recent counseling sessions. "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." To me, life is summed up in those words. Focus your life and ENJOY your life with Christ and he will place his desires in your heart and fulfill those desires.

8. Walt and Betsy left for an incredible trip to Turkey and Israel tonight. I'm going to miss that knucklehead for the next two weeks. (Walt, not Betsy.) See www.drpepperking2.blogspot.com

9. I'm starting to get excited about our mission trip to Guatemala in June!

10. TrueNorth Church is an awesome church! The staff, leaders, volunteers, etc. are a true blessing to us!

11. I'm finishing up Mark Batterson's book, "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day." I've underlined a bunch of stuff. I'll post it on here soon.

12. I've been looking forward to watching the Dallas Mavs vs. Golden State tonight. It just started.

13. I hate my front yard. Does anyone here know anything about landscaping?

Moonlighting

Steve (my boss and pastor) and I have been moonlighting lately down in the seedy part of town. Someone caught it on tape. I figured I would expose myself now before the media got a hold of it.

http://www.dancesisterdance.com/myvid/index.php?v=0a493a77f4052

Unanswered Calls at VA Tech

From a recent update from my friends in Virginia:

The families are just beginning to experience their loss. One friend wrote me of a detail that deeply affected her police friend at the Crime Scene. Please allow me to share this "scene" so we can get another picture of the terrible horror these loved ones have experienced starting early Monday when they heard of the shootings...

"My hometown in VA is only 45 minutes from Blacksburg. A high school friend of mine is on the VA State Police. He was involved in photographing one of the classroom crime scenes after the massacre. He said it was horrible seeing those students, but the worst part was that the entire time he was in that room, all of their cell phones were ringing non-stop. It broke his heart to know that there were calls from loved ones desperate for them to answer. "

Those "unanswered calls" is where the horror began for these who lost loved ones. Please, let's keep these dear people in our hearts and prayers this month and weeks to come.

Pray for the victims at VA Tech

Some friends of mine are in campus ministry at the University of Virginia. Thought you'd be interested in a email I just received from them:

Friends,

I know you're aware of the tragedy at VA Tech. We in the college community of VA are completely numb. Tech is UVA's arch-rival. We love to "hate" them on the field or on the court... but that's in jest. Now... our "family" has been attacked by hate and the ugliness of fallen, human nature...and we are grieving deeply!

Over the past three summers I have led a Bible group for students in town. We have some Tech students regularly attend these studies. We know some of the students there. They are in great confusion today. Many are still waiting to hear from friends to know they're safe. Lots of chaos...

Prayer gatherings are popping up today (and this week) all around this Commonwealth. Our local community of faith plans to travel to Blacksburg later this week just to "be" with our family and grieve on-site with them. Blacksburg is about two hours away, in a sleepy little community... close to the back hills of southwest VA. Not where one would expect this sort of thing to happen.

What a picture of our desperate need for God. Our need may be "tucked" away and out of the mainstream of life. Our need often goes undetected until this sort of thing. Now we're forced into a head-on collision with our brokenness. We ALL are broken and have fallen short of the glory of God. Yes, you and me... all the families of this massacre... the gunman... the by-stander on the street.

We are the victims AND we are the one who pulled the trigger. We stand in solidarity with the family at V Tech. We grieve deeply with them. We moan and writhe in pain with them. Oh, who can deliver us from this ugliness...

... Yet our hope is in You, Lord. Our hope IS YOU! Meet us here. Meet our Loved Ones here... heal us and comfort us. Come, Prince of Peace. Come, Kingdom of God!

Thank you for your solidarity with us,
Lainie, Daniel and the entire college community of VA

My New Favorite Movie

We finally caught up with most of the moviegoers of America and saw "The Pursuit of Happyness" last night. I knew that I wanted to see it the first time I saw a preview for it months ago. But we don't make it to Movie Gallery often, much less theaters. Will Smith always does a good job so I knew this movie would be special. If you haven't seen it, go get it. It's based on the true story of Chris Gardner. If you want to know more about his story, here's a link to his website:

http://www.chrisgardnermedia.com/index.htm

It is an amazing story. I had a hard time going to sleep last night because I couldn't help wondering how many people were sleeping in subway bathrooms last night while I was in my warm, cozy bed.

For you TNC'ers, we're starting a new series of messages this Sunday called "The Pursuit of Happyness." It's based on Jesus' beatitudes found in Matthew 4. Invite your fish!

Put This On Your Fridge

I saw this on Mark Batterson's blog, www.evotional.com. I think I'll print it out and put it on the fridge for the whole family to see.

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshipping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze a new trail. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away. Chase the lion.

Final Four Thoughts

Thoughts on the Final Four after Florida's dominant win tonight:

1. Why does it seem that Billy Packer is always pulling against the teams from the South? He and Jim Nantz were pulling for Ohio State the whole time. I was getting sick to my stomach listening to them talk about how great the Buckeyes were while they were being hammered all night. And then, how Florida was making poor decisions during the game. Please! I've never been a Billy Packer fan. (And don't get me started on baseball commentator Tim McCarver...)

2. I was 3 for 4 in my final four pick. I thought UNC would beat Florida in the final game. I had UCLA and OSU in there too.

3. Joakim Noah's mom is a former Miss Sweden and his dad was a tennis star. You know they have some money. I wonder why they never considered braces for little Joakim?

4. Did you notice the story about Corey Brewer's dad who just had his legs amputated? His dad's nickname is Pee Wee. (I'm just reporting the facts here.)

5. You'll never guess what Cliff and I did during halftime of the game.

6. 24 was a little lame tonight. I watched it while keeping my eye on the game. President Palmer had a little too much adrenalin if you know what I mean.

7. Did you guess what we did at halftime? We painted a possum pink and took him down to the park. Ask me for details...

8. Now that March Madness is over, it's time for the Masters. Who do you think is going to win it?

My Faceless Car

Here's my car during lobotomy surgery.

I'm happy to report that the surgery was a success and I am now driving a complete car once again. Thanks to my father-in-law, shade tree mechanic extraordinaire, for the help!

Full Frontal Lobe Lobotomy

For my car, that is...

Maybe I can post a picture this weekend. My son had a little fender bender in my Isuzu Rodeo a couple of weeks ago. Over $2500 in damage! I was able to get used parts to try to replace the damaged bumper, grill, headlamps (both of them), left turn lamp, condensor, and condensor fan assembly. (Thanks Paul!) The front of my car is completely missing right now. My father-in-law and I (mostly my father-in-law) took everything off today. Tomorrow we put all the new/used stuff back on. My car doesn't have a face right now. It looks really sad.

I wonder if this is going to change it's personality?

Walt T is bringing the message at TNC Sunday. Can't wait to hear from him! See you there if you're still in town.

In Sync With God

I read this in Oswald Chambers' My Utmost For His Highest yesterday. I've often thought and believed that one can be so in tune with God that many of our decisions and questions can be easily answered. I believe, like Chambers, that as you grow more spiritually mature, the easier it is to follow his will. However, I don't recall hearing it taught much. So it was interesting to me to see this:

To be so much in contact with God that you never need to ask Him to show you His will, is to be nearing the final stage of your discipline in the life of faith. When you are rightly related to God, it is a life of freedom and liberty and delight, you are God's will, and all your common-sense decisions are His will for you unless He checks. You decide things in perfect delightful friendship with God, knowing that if your decisions are wrong He will always check; when He checks, stop at once.

For the full article, go to www.myutmost.org. Go to the March 20 devotional.

March Madness

My final four pick: Florida, Ohio State, North Carolina, & UCLA. I'm picking the Tarheels to beat the Gators in the championship game. Total score: 133 points. UNC looked a little shaky for a while last night. We'll see if they pull it off.

Who Do You Influence?

Lately I've been re-reading a classic book by J. Oswald Sanders titled "Spiritual Leadership." I would encourage anyone in a ministry position to get a copy. He tells the story of Dr. John Geddie who went to the South Pacific island of Aneityum as a missionary. He worked there for 24 years. On the tablet erected to his memory these words are inscribed:

When he landed, in 1848, there were no Christians.

When he left, in 1872, there were no heathen.

At TNC, Steve has been talking about leadership from the book of Nehemiah. Leadership is essentially the power of one man to influence another. No man can fathom the difference one life can make. Check out my friend Andy Hunter's blog and read about our mutual friend, Ranny Moorhead, the potato chip salesman, if you need an example.

Before all is said and done here, we need to ask ourselves some questions: Who do I influence? Am I leading people to a closer relationship with Christ? Am I lifting Jesus up so that men will be drawn to him? At the end of my life, I want people to celebrate what God did through me similar to what he did through Dr. John Geddie or Mr. Ranny, the potato chip salesman. How about you?

Pass the Salt, Please

Jesus told his followers that we are to be the salt of the earth. Why would he tell us to be salty? Maybe it's because salt makes one thirsty. If you're living your life as a passionate follower of Christ, you'll make people thirsty to know God.

How do you live a salty life? Make sure others know that Jesus is real and relevant to everyday life. Author and missionary E. Stanley Jones was once asked to name the number one problem in the Church. His answer was irrelevance. Not that the Church is irrelevant, but that Christians were failing to show in concrete ways how Jesus is relevant to daily life. Another great 20th century Christian leader, Elton Trueblood, said, "It is hard to exaggerate the degree to which the modern church seems irrelevant to modern man."

Be salty. Pass the salt to your family, friends, and coworkers. Let them see that Jesus is a real part of your life and that his teaching is relevant to everyday circumstances. Don't preach. Don't be arrogant. Don't swagger your salvation around. Don't act holier than thou. Be the person God created you to be. Use your personality, your gifts, and your abilities to make others thirsty to know Christ.

How to Save a Life

The Fray has a great song called "How to Save a Life." The song was written by Isaac Slade who worked as a mentor at a camp for troubled teens. He felt the frustration of how to communicate hope and life to distraught young people.

For thousands of years, the Church has been in the life-saving business and for thousands of years the Church has struggled with the best way to do it. Unfortunately, the Church has become such a complicated organization with all of its doctrines, rituals, traditions, and dogma that it has forgotten the basics of how to share the life changing message of the Gospel. In fact, I ranted about this a little last Sunday at TNC.

When it comes to the Church, I believe that we have complicated what should be a pretty simple organization. I didn't say it should be easy, but simple. In his book, The Connecting Church, Randy Frazee states that, "The key for the 21st century church will not be in buildings, programs, or great sermons or worship services, and not even in small groups as we have known them." Frazee goes on to say that, "The church's relevance and growth will largely depend on her ability to authentically connect people to the experience of doing life deeply together."

The message of Christ is transmitted best through genuine relationships, not meetings, programs, or events. Instead of focusing our ministry on doing church and learning all the ins and outs and do's and don'ts, we need to focus on how to do life with Christ. Instead of spending all of our time at various meetings, classes, and functions of the Church, we need to focus on spending time with those who need to hear the message. When Jesus is your focus, people will see the difference. At the right time, they will wonder how to get what you have and when you answer they will discover the greatest treasure known to man. That's how to save a life.

A Psalm of Wandering

I'm not into poetry, but I saw this in a recent issue of Discipleship Journal. I'm familiar with some of Joseph Bayly's writing and this caught my attention when I saw that he had written it.

A Psalm of Wandering by Joseph Bayly

Lord you know

I'm such a stupid sheep.

I worry

about all sorts of things

whether I'll find grazing land

still cool water

a fold at night

in which I can feel safe.

I don't.

I only find troubles

want

loss.

I turn aside from you

to plan my rebel way.

I go astray.

I follow other shepherds

even other stupid sheep.

Then when I end up

on some dark mountain

cliffs before

wild animals behind

I start to bleat

Shepherd Shepherd

find me save me

or I die.

And you do.

You Can't Take It With You

One of my favorite movies of all time is the Christmas classic, "It's A Wonderful Life" directed by Frank Capra and starring Jimmy Stewart. Several years ago, my friend and fellow blogger Andy (andyfbcdenmark.blogspot.com) told me about Capra and Stewart's first movie together called "You Can't Take It With You." I looked for it in our local video store to no avail. I thought about buying it online but it was pretty expensive so I never saw it. Until Saturday. It is currently running for free on Comcast On Demand.

If you have never seen it, you're missing a treat. Though it is nearly 70 years old (It came out in 1938) it still has an eternal message. Life is not about money, power, and possessions. Life is about relationships. It is a very entertaining and funny movie. I recommend that you skip watching CSI, CSI:Miami, CSI:NYC, CSI:Las Vegas, CSI:Peoria and American Idol one night and watch a classic. You won't regret it.

That Poor Old Man!

Back in the day - the 70's and early 80's - I went to a lot of concerts. Van Halen (many times), KISS, Foghat, Molly Hatchet, 38 Special, The Commodores, Earth, Wind, & Fire...can't recall them all. (BTW, though I was never a huge KISS fan, I have to say that it was the greatest, most entertaining concert of all time.) As a teen, I remembered seeing teenage girls coming into the concert with their dads. I would look at the father and think, "That poor old man! His daughter dragged him out to a rock concert."

Well, it dawned on me last night that I was that poor old man. I escorted my daughter, Bailey, and her friend, Sarah, to see John Mayer last night in Columbia. It was a good concert. Nothing fancy - just John Mayer and his band. It was a pure music show. No elevated stages, blood, or pyrotechnics like the greatest concert of all time. I think John Mayer's style fits a smaller venue better. But when you can pack in 12-15,000 in the Colonial Center at $30(?) a head, that's not a bad night's work.

I had the poor old man revelation during the warm-up act. Enjoyed them too, BTW. When John and his band came out. I was glad to see that one of John's accompanying guitarists was quite old himself. I would guess he was at least in his late 50's. So I wasn't the only poor old man at the concert last night.

It really was a diverse audience. I was surprised at the number of "old people" there. But, then, Mayer's music reaches a wide age range. Here's a sample from last night...

What Would You Do If You Only Had One Day to Live?

What would you do if you only had one day to live? This is the question being asked by four Canadian guys who are traveling around the country in an RV. They have an interesting website (click the link above) and several videos. Looks like they are making a movie about their adventures. They have a list of 100 things to do before you die. I've done 14 of them. I think they have done about 27 so far. Some of the things they listed wouldn't be on my list but it's fun to read and think about. What would be on your list?

Rejection

I'm writing this because I know a lot of you bloggers are writers or wannabe writers. One of the first things you have to learn about writing is how to handle rejection.

Got an email from my agent in NYC today. One of my books that we're trying to sell has been rejected by five publishers so far including Zondervan and Broadman and Holman. One publisher expressed interest but my agent didn't like their offer.

But that's okay! I'm just happy that they are looking at it. Rejection is part of the writing business. Ask any writer and they will tell you that their rejection file is full of impersonal, form letters from editors saying, "Thanks, but no thanks." There are tons of stories out there about writers who were rejected over and over and over but then finally got their work published. It only takes one to say yes. There are still about 20 more publishers that we have yet to hear from or that will be receiving a package from my agent soon. Companies like Penguin Putnam, Harper San Francisco, NavPress, and Thomas Nelson. So, if you don't mind, say a little prayer that there is an editor out there that likes it and wants to print it. I'll definitely let you know when that happens.

In the meantime, if you're thinking about getting published, get ready for rejection. But consider it progress, not failure. More "no's" just get you closer to "yes."

Sloganize yourself

Click the link above and have fun!

See What I Mean?

See my previous post and then click the link above for an article from World magazine. Here's the first two paragraphs...

Of every dollar given to a Protestant church, the average amount that goes to overseas missions is two cents. In contrast, of every dollar Antioch Presbyterian Church in Chonju, Korea, takes in, 70 cents goes to missions.

For 15 years, the mission research and advocacy organization Empty Tomb, of Champaign, Ill., has analyzed the contributions and spending patterns of American churches. The latest report, "The State of Church Giving through 2003" (available at emptytomb.org), crunches the numbers for 41 Protestant denominations and surveys giving trends going back almost a century. In doing so, the study gives a not-too-flattering snapshot of the priorities of American Christians today.

A Costa Rica Christmas

We had a unique and wonderful Christmas this year. We flew to San Jose, Costa Rica to assist our missionary friends, Phil and Jill Jones with Blood-n-Fire Ministries, with their annual gift-giving project. (You can learn more about the Jones at www.philandjilljones.com.)

We arrived in Costa Rica on Dec. 18 and came home late on Christmas night. We gave away some 700-800 presents to the children of the Los Triangulos precario near San Jose. It took us over 2 days to go door-to-door surprising children with gifts. The precario is a 3 acre shanty town filled with over 1800 people. They build homes out of scrap metal and wood. They are among the poorest of the poor in Central America.

This was my fifth trip to Costa Rica. It was the third for my son, Cliff. For my wife, Beth, it was the second and for my daughter, Bailey, it was her first time. We love Costa Rica! We love the children in the precario and we love the climate and beauty of the country as well. Last July, when we were there conducting a Vacation Bible School, Beth fell in love with a little boy there named Joshua. In fact, she has a picture of him in her classroom at school and she prays for him everyday. She was hoping to see Joshua again on this trip. We didn't know where he lived in the precario and Beth was anxious to see him if, in fact, he was still there. (The homeless are quite mobile.) As you can see below, Beth got to see him again. In fact, he was one of our first "customers" early Sunday morning!

Needless to say, we made a memory. It was awesome taking a family mission trip together to minister to those who needed a smile, a hug, and a reminder of Jesus' love. I'm not sure if this will become a family tradition or not but I'm positive that this is one Christmas we will never forget.

Selling Like Hotcakes!

Amazon.com sent me an email saying that their warehouse workers have been working 24/7 since my previous post. They asked me to take it down but I refused. I told them to keep those forklifts rolling or else!

Gift Idea

In a move that is totally and shamelessly self-serving, may I suggest that you consider purchasing this book for that person who is hard to shop for. Heck, buy one for people that are easy to shop for!

Guys tend to like this book because it's easy reading, full of short stories, anecdotes, quotes, and jokes. It's good to keep nearby for those times when you just need a quick read (if you know what I mean.)

Okay, seriously, there are only about 300 of these left in existence. If everyone who reads this blog buys one and tells 299 of their friends to buy one, then I won't have to pay my distributor anymore for storage and warehouse fees. Plus, if I sell a lot this month it will raise my rating with Amazon!

For those of you who live in NAug, I might even sign it for you.

So hit the link to your right that says "Get My Book Here!"

You'll be glad you did.

And me too.

No Limits

A few years ago Fast Company magazine profiled Doug Blevins, a man who had aspired all of his life to be an NFL coach. So he started blitzing New York Jets manager Dick Steinberg with faxes detailing the flaws of Cary Blanchard, the Jet’s place kicker at the time. Steinberg was evidently impressed with Blevins’s knowledge of the game and hired him as a kicking consultant in 1994. The amazing thing is that Blevins himself has never attempted a field goal. He’s never punted for any team, on any level, let alone in the NFL. Because he was born with cerebral palsy, he has, in fact, never even walked. (Fast Company, September 2000, 48)

Doug Blevins story should be a reminder to us that there are no limits when we put our minds to something. Most average thinking people would have discounted any possibility that a victim of cerebral palsy could coach in the NFL. If a person’s own will and determination can do that, how much more can we do with Christ at our side! “I can do everything through him that gives me strength” - Philippians 4:13.

God, keep me from being an “average thinker” and give me the strength to realize that, with you, there are no limits

Giving Jesus The Butterflies

If you’re not a pastor, you may not be able to relate to this but something tells me you will. Sunday mornings are anxious times for pastors. On a good Sunday (and most of them are good), I wake up with somewhat of a nervous stomach. A little excited about the day ahead. When I was an athlete we called the pregame jitters “the butterflies.” I’m concerned that everything will be done with excellence. Sometimes concerned about a logistical issue, a new song, or that the message will connect with the congregation. I have a feeling that many pastors feel the same way. On a bad Sunday, well…I don’t even want to think about the occasional dreaded Sunday but let me say that there have been Sundays in the past when I did not want to go to church.

This past Sunday was a good Sunday, in fact, a great Sunday. But in my usual walking around making sure everything is in order and working (not that our excellent TNC setup team needs me to do that, I just do. It’s a pastor’s instinct, I guess) I, as usual, had “the butterflies.” At around 8:10 AM, I overheard Steve and Chuck say that they needed something from the office. Steve (our Lead Pastor) volunteered to go get it but I knew that he needed to meet with some baptism candidates at 8:30 AM. I told them that I would go, so I made my way to my car.

Because parking space is at a premium, the staff and leaders are asked to park on the other side of the parking lot so it is a pretty good walk to where I park. Steve originally parked his car out front to unload some stuff so he and two of his boys, Christian and Cameron, were moving his car to the boonies to park too. As I got into my car to go to the office, the Davis boys were getting out of their car making the long trek back to the gym. Christian and Cameron were playing with a football and as they were making their way back they tossed and kicked the football to each other.

That’s when I learned a lesson. As I watched the three of them, one of the boys stopped to punt the football. Now if I were in Steve’s shoes, I would have kept walking and I would have emphatically told the boys to do the same! It was 8:17. I had a meeting in 13 minutes. Two sermons to preach. Details to go over with the worship leader and production team and a costume to put on. (If you didn’t attend TNC last Sunday, you won’t get the costume thing.) There’s no time to stop and kick the football, I would have said.

But I noticed that Steve stopped what he was doing, showed his son how to properly hold a football for a punt, and then he watched him kick it to his other son. I smiled when I saw that.

Maybe that story doesn’t do anything for you but for me it was a relief. It reminded me that I need to stop and take every opportunity I can with my family and friends. Even in the busyness of life. Even on harried Sunday mornings when there are half a dozen things to do. Even when there seems to be no time. It’s important to invest in people, not just a production or a program. I was reminded that Jesus said, “I will build my church.” It’s his job not mine. Why do I need to stress over it? Why should I get anxious on Sunday mornings? Why not let Jesus have “the butterflies”?

Proud Humility

A pastor friend of mine preached a sermon on humility one Sunday morning.  While greeting his congregation as they filed out the front door after the service, one of his dear elderly women said, “You know, Pastor, I’ve always been proud of my humility.”

 

Pride is a sneaky thing.  We are naturally bent to look out for number one.  It’s the core of our human nature.  And, if not kept in check, it can lead to disaster.  Someone defined pride this way:

 

P - I am concerned with my position.

R - I want my rights.

I  - I am most important.

D - My desires are more important than yours.

E - I expect everyone to agree with me.

 

Jesus said, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”  (Matthew 23:12)

 

 

 

 

Arrrgh!

Carolina lost a squeaker to Florida today. They are proving that they can play with good teams this year. But they can't put the nail in the coffin. They've got to learn how to keep a lead, keep momentum, and win!

Happy Birthday To Me

Today is a special day for me. Go to October 2005 (the link is on the right side of this page) and read A Life Changing Day.

I called my friend Richard today to remind him that it's been 28 years.

Gallivantin'

Last Friday my dad and I went gallivantin'.  We spent all day looking for dead relatives buried in cemeteries in Edgefield and McCormick counties.  It was a little emotional, a little morbid, and a lot of fun.  It was kind of like going on a treasure hunt. My dad told me stories that I'd never heard as we spent all day going down memory lane.  It all started a few weeks ago when he mentioned that when he is dead and gone that no one in the family would know where our relatives are buried.  So I told him that we should go out one day and let him show me everything he knew.  We actually found some graves that he'd never seen before -  my great-great grandparents.  I took 4 or 5 pages of notes and directions to cemeteries.  (One is in the middle of the woods somewhere near McCormick, SC.)

 

In addition to grave sites, he showed me the house where he was born.  The black church that he used to attend with his black mammy.  (I know that's not politically correct these days, but that's what she told him to call her when he was a kid.)  We also went to the site where he grew up as a teenager.  It was a wonderful day with my dad.  For those of you that don't know my dad, he's 76 and still in great health.  He works two days a week for the construction company that he's been employed by for years.  So it's not like he's on his last leg or anything.  We just thought we should take that trip while we had the opportunity. 

 

It was a little emotional for me because the reality of it all hit me.  My mom went to be with the Lord 4.5 years ago and daddy knows he's already passed the average lifespan for an American man.  To go on a trip with your aging father and see the graves of those he grew up with who are already gone and knowing that his time is sooner than ever, it just put a lump in my throat.  To hear his tales, often funny, of times gone by were enjoyable and priceless but also a little sad.  Dad knows his prime years are behind him and I guess that makes me sad.  Yes, he still has the health and ability to make many more memories but after living over 3/4 of a century, I was reminded that the same is happening to me.  

 

A few weeks ago I turned 45 - halfway to 90!  Time is passing.  It's not waiting on me.  I have to make the most of each day and every opportunity.  I need to take time for my wife and kids.  I need to give time to the Lord.  I need to accomplish what He's called me to accomplish.  I want to finish strong and finish well.  Because this one thing I know for sure,  one day I'll be finished.  At last, here on earth.  Then comes eternity, and that will bring a whole new meaning to life!

 

 

A thought from Oz

I love Oswald Chambers.  In fact, his devotional website is my home page, i.e., www.myutmost.org.  I try to read it each day before I dive into the computer.

Here’s a quote from today’s thought.  I edited it and took out some of the old English.  Oz wrote this book about 100 years ago so it is difficult to read sometimes.

The great enemy to the Lord Jesus Christ in the present day is the conception of practical work that has not come from the New Testament, but from the systems of the world in which endless energy and activities are insisted upon, but no private life with God. The emphasis is put on the wrong thing.  In the life of Jesus, there was none of the press and rush of tremendous activity that we regard so highly, and the disciple is to be as His Master. The central thing about the kingdom of Jesus Christ is a personal relationship to Himself, not public usefulness to men.  (Taken from My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers)

 

Catalyst

Attended the Catalyst Conference with 14 leaders from TNC.  It was phenomenal.  If you've ever been to a conference, retreat, mission trip, etc. and thought, "This is what heaven might be like."  That's what Catalyst is.

 

Only the mission of Catalyst is not to get a taste of heaven, but it is to get the Church to be the Church instead of just doing Church.

 

Here are some quotes and thoughts from Catalyst:

 

"The Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes."  (4 times in Daniel 4:17, 25, 32, & Daniel 5:21)  Andy Stanley reminded us that leadership is temporary.  It can be taken away.  It is a stewardship and we are accountable.

 

Great leaders find out what is unique about a person and capitalize on it. (Marcus Buckingham)

 

Gary Haugen shared the story of Elizabeth, a child slave forced to work in a brothel as a prostitute in a Third World Country, who scratched Psalm 27 on the wall of her cell.  When you read Psalm 27 and consider her plight, it is amazing.  The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?  When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.  Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.

 

"Reaching people is not a 'how to' question but a 'want to' question."  (Rick McKinley)

 

"Discipleship happens 'on the road.'  Information does not equal transformation."  (Rick McKinley)

 

"The Church exists for the world, not ourselves."  (Rick McKinley)

 

"We must proclaim the gospel, not protect it."  (Rick McKinley)

 

"We cannot be heard if we stay protected from the culture." (Rick McKinley)

 

"We ought to be inside-traders.  People who have inside information about eternity." (Louie Giglio)

 

"The big decline in the U.S. is consumerism.  Churches are falling for a consumeristic mentality."  (Donald Miller)

Great Wall of Integrity?

      In ancient China, the people desired security from the barbaric tribes to the north.  So they built the Great Wall of China.  It was too high to climb over, too thick to break down, and too long to go around.  Security was achieved or so it seemed.  The only problem was that during the first hundred years of the wall’s existence, China was invaded three times.  Was the wall a failure?  Not really – for not once did barbarians climb over the wall, break it down, or go around it.

     How then did they get into China?  The answer lies in human nature.  They simply bribed a gatekeeper and then marched right in through a gate.  The fatal flaw in the Chinese defense was placing too much reliance on a wall and not putting enough effort into building character into the gatekeeper.

 

“The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.”  (Proverbs 10:9)

 

A Big Wow!

Last Sunday was huge!  TrueNorth Church had its first service in the North Augusta High School gym with a near record crowd.  I've told many people how TNC is a dream come true for me.  Back in the 80's I used to dream about having church in NA featuring contemporary Christian music in a casual, relaxed atmosphere with relevant, passionate Bible teaching that would reach across all socio-economic groups.  In my mind, the only place I knew of in NA that could hold a crowd like I had imagined was the NAHS gymnasium.  On Sunday morning, that dream came true. 

 

I thought that Stevens Creek Church was as close as I would ever get to seeing that dream become a reality in the CSRA.  As I posted a few weeks ago, the adventure at SCC was awesome and I thank God for that experience.  But Sunday morning was almost too much.  I can't tell you how many times I have envisioned in my mind what actually took place at TNC on September 10, 2006.  It was a surreal experience for me. 

 

I praise God for Steve Davis and the core leaders who started this ministry just over 2 years ago.  It is incredible to see what God is doing.  As my former pastor and boss used to say, "The best is yet to come!"  I truly believe that and I can't wait to see what God is going to continue to do at TNC.

Selfless Service

This comes from an email passed along to me this morning. Maybe this explains why Team USA is dominating in the World Basketball Tournament.

This video link features Coach K and the Team USA basketball team as they were visited by Col. Bob Brown and some of his soldiers. Of course, in the video you can see Dwayne Wade and Carmelo Anthony and other NBA stars, moved by the story of selfless service. One of Bob Brown's lieutenants was severely wounded in combat in Iraq but continues to serve even though he was blinded by his wounds. This lieutenant is featured in this video. Take a look. You will be inspired.

http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/nba/pinnacle/usab_army_mh_final.asx

Jesus Christ, Stand-up Comedian

Lately I've been revisiting a book titled The Humor of Christ by Elton Trueblood. I first read it about 20 years ago when I checked it out of the seminary library and have thought about it many times over the years. I recently found a used copy of it online. (Click the title to get yours on Amazon.)

Anyway, it's interesting for a couple of reasons. One, it's the only book I am aware of that addresses the subject. I wish someone would write another one with a more contemporary tone to it. Trueblood's book was written in 1964 and is a little more of an academic approach. Second, we don't often note Christ's humor when we read the red letters. He used a lot of irony and sarcasm. Jesus was a little bit of a smart-aleck - but in a godly way, of course. I tend to be sarcastic and smart-alecky sometimes so maybe I'm more Christlike than I think!

Jesus inserted a lot of humor in The Sermon on the Mount, for example. Grab your sword and look up Matthew 6:2, 5, 16, 34; 7:6, 12, 34. Now these passages probably won't have you ROTFLOL (rolling on the floor laughing out loud) but keep in mind that Hebrew humor was different than humor today. Jesus was no slapstick comedian but he did know that exaggeration and irony would get a few chuckles. Like when he said that it is easier for a camel to go through the needle's eye - (A small gate available to latecomers at night when the main gates of Jerusalem were closed. A camel had to get down on it's knees and crawl through. Not impossible, just a little more difficult than normal.) - than for a rich man to get into heaven. I don't care who you are - watching a camel crawl on his knees has to be a funny sight.

Trueblood notes over 30 passages in the Gospels where Jesus used a humorous approach. I love to laugh and I like to make people laugh so it's refreshing to know that Jesus was the same way. We need to laugh more, I think. I'm glad I attend a church where laughter is welcome. Church doesn't have to be stuffy. The sooner Christians learn that, the better off we'll be

Turn The Page

This week marks a new chapter in our lives as we transition from one church to another. A couple of weeks ago, I accepted the position of Associate Pastor of TrueNorth Church, a fast-growing new church in our city. For over 20 years, Beth and I had dreamed of seeing a contemporary, relevant ministry in our hometown. In fact, we made a feeble effort at starting such in 1998 but God had other plans.

We discovered Stevens Creek Community Church in August 1998 and fell in love with it. SCCC was the only contemporary church in the metro Augusta area so we decided to jump on board with them. At the time, they met in an elementary school cafeteria and had 200-250 in attendance. I joined the staff in May 2000 and it has been a great ride! Last Sunday, we had 1041. Pretty good growth in 8 years.

Today was our last day at SCCC and tomorrow I report to the offices of TrueNorth. It's been a little surreal the last couple of weeks. We didn't really see this coming but we know that God has orchestrated this all along. We are sad to say goodbye to so many dear friends at SCCC and yet we are excited about the new friends we are going to make at TNC. We are moving from one great church to another great church and from one great staff to another great staff. Our experiences at SCCC will help us minister at TNC.

We can't wait to see what God is going to continue to do as we turn the page and began a new chapter in our lives.

Killing Your Heart

How often do you find yourself in a hurry?  Do you feel like your days are nothing but rushing from one thing to the other?  Do you find yourself mindlessly and habitually cocking your wrist into your face to check your watch every ten minutes?  Do you always drive in the fast lane?  Do you stomp on the gas when the light turns green?  Do you get angry when the person driving in front of you doesn't seem to be in a hurry and you can't imagine a world where anyone would not be?  

 

For me, it's more often than I want to admit....

 

The Chinese symbol for busyness is two characters joined together as one: heart and killing.  Busyness kills your heart.  There is an old saying that idleness is the devil's workshop.  That may be true.  But I also believe that busyness is the devil's workshop too.

 

"Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should." (Psalm 90:12)

 

 

 

Christian TV At Its Finest

I posted this story on www.theooze.com message board last night and thought I'd post it here too.  I thought it was pretty funny...and sad.

As I am reading the message boards on www.theooze.com I can overhear my daughter, Bailey, in the next room watching "America's Got Talent" on TV. As you know, these stupid reality talent shows are getting really irritating and the talent is sometimes miserably poor. We heard a vocalist doing a terrible job singing and my wife and I both yelled into the den, "That's awful!" Unbeknownst to us, Bailey was changing channels. She said, "That's not 'America's Got Talent,' it's the Christian station."

Aaaaaargh! Christian TV strikes again.  I'm convinced that TBN is a tool of the devil.

 

 

 

 

 

deathclock.com

On Wednesday, September 18, 2052, I will die.  That's what deathclock.com says anyway.

 

I've got 46 years to make an impact.  46 years to influence.  46 years to love.  46 years to demonstrate to others the difference that knowing Christ can make in one's life.

 

What are you doing with the time you have left?

 

 

Costa Rica

Flew in yesterday morning after a 9 day mission trip to Costa Rica.  Everything went great.  We ministered primarily in a precario in the capital city of San Jose.  A precario is a shanty town filled with small homes made of scrap wood, metal, and block built by illegal squatters.  The average home is a room or two that totals about 300 square feet.  This particular precario is a 3 acre site with about 1700 people...mostly Nicarauguan refugees. We cooked 500 hotdogs and gave them away in the precario on Saturday (July 1).  That evening we worshiped at a church in Alajuela where I was invited to preach.  Sunday morning we walked through the precario and cleaned up the area and prepared it for ministry.

Each day we hosted a Vacation Bible School for approximately 200 kids.  They watched a puppet show and did crafts.  They also enjoyed face painting, jump rope, bubbles, etc. while they waited to get into the puppet show.  A medical team treated 349 people.  This ministry was very much needed.  I was really glad we could offer the medical ministry this year.  We also showed the Jesus film Friday night.

We experienced lots of laughs and lots of tears.  The first day in the precario is always the
toughest for the new ones.  When we finished with the cookout Saturday, Joy, one of the missionaries, gave me two used margarine tubs that we ordinarily wouldn't think twice about
throwing away.  She told me to give them to someone.  I asked her how to say, "Would you like this?" in Spanish.  I turned toward the crowd and asked the first two ladies that I saw.  They graciously took them like I'd given them a $100 bill.  I looked at my wife, Beth, and said, "Even used margarine tubs are considered something of value here."  She couldn't take it.  She'd been fighting tears all day and that incident brought out the tears.  Even Pedro, our translator, who was there for his third time, was moved to tears by a situation that the doctor was helping with.  It's unreal how poor those people are.

This team will never be the same.  God moved in many hearts...Costa Ricans, Nicaraguans, and Gringos.

 

Donald Miller notes

Recently I read Donald Miller's latest book

Searching For God Knows What on vacation. I think I liked it better than his best seller Blue Like Jazz.

Miller says that we tend to take the Bible and create formulas for everything. (Think alliterated, three point sermons - five steps to... and eight ways to...) But the Bible isn't a book of formulas. It's a book about relationships. People who have called on God and people who have run from God. We learn how to have a relationship with God through the relational experiences that others have had with him in the past.

Here are a few quotes and thoughts:

"If the gospel of Jesus is just some formula I obey in order to get taken off the naughty list and put on a nice list, then it doesn't meet the deep need of the human condition, it doesn't interact with the great desire of my soul, and it has nothing to do with the hidden (or rather, obvious) language we are all speaking. But if it is more, if it is a story about humanity falling away from the community that named it, and an attempt to bring humanity back to that community, and if it is more than a series of ideas, but rather speaks directly into this basic human need we are feeling, then the gospel of Jesus is the most relevant message in the history of mankind." p. 45

Becoming a Christian is more like falling in love than agreeing with a list of principles. p. 46

"The battle we are in (i.e., the cultural battle in the US between conservatives and liberals) is a battle against the principalities of darkness, not against the people who are different from us. In war you shoot the enemy, not the hostage." p. 190 (italics mine)

Jesus says there will be people who will heal other people, but when they die he is going to say he didn't know them. It is somewhat amazing to me that all of Christianity, all our grids and mathematics and truths and different groups subscribing to different theological ideas, boils down to our knowing Jesus and his knowing us. p. 200 (GJ's note: Paul stated that nothing was more important than knowing Christ - Philippians 2:9)

The Slowskies

Comcast has a TV commercial about a turtle couple called the Slowskies. They don't like high-speed internet. They are completely satisfied with their dial-up service because they don't like for things to happen too fast.

I feel like the Slowskies sometimes because it feels like it is taking forever to get my second book going. But I'm making progress. I have the first 3 chapters and the proposal almost complete so that my agent can begin shopping it to publishers. The working title for now is Your Greatest Challenge and subtitled Selfless Living in a Selfish World. Maybe we'll get moving on this thing when a publisher bites on it.

In the meantime, I'd appreciate your taking a look at my first book Timely Words. It's a great gift book - men especially seem to like it because it has a lot of quick reads.

You are rich!

Go to this link.  It will take you less than 30 seconds to see how incredibly blessed we are in this country. 

 

 

http://www.globalrichlist.com/

 

 

Addendum 06/20/06: A friend of mine emailed today to thank me for this link and to say that he just returned from a mission trip to Guatemala. According to him, the average annual salary there is $650.

Change Your Life!

The following is a quote from Story by Steven James:

“Frankly, I’m tired of hearing about conferences, seminars, books, and DVDs that will change my life. ‘This (fill in the blank) will change your life! Attend this life-changing (fill in the blank) and you’ll never be the same again! It’ll be life changing!’”

“On the back of one Christian book I recently picked up were three separate quotes by Christian celebrities, all of which promised, ‘This book will change your life!’”

“A hernia will change your life. Swallowing two pounds of Ex-Lax will change your life. Getting bitten by a rabid dog will change your life. So will going bankrupt, joining a cult, or getting a tapeworm. All of these things are very life changing.”

“Change is not always a good thing. What I need isn’t change from one thing to another but transformation from who I am into who I was meant to become. Only when God’s transforming power touches me can I begin to live the simpler, freer, fresher, more creative, more patient, more passionate, more sacrificial, riskier, rawer, more real, more love-driven life God intended for me to have all along.”

“That transformation is what awaits all who will dare to enter the story of God. As Paul wrote, 'Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think' (Romans 12:2).”

 

 

Click this link to get your copy of Story